Stylistic DISCrepancy

This past Wednesday, the MobiTV Finance Department spent the morning taking an off-site DISC assessment. The goal of which was threefold: a) to gain a better understanding of our individual behavioral styles in the context of our current work environment b) to gain an appreciation for the corresponding behavioral tendencies of our colleagues and c) to work together more effectively as a unit.

Suffice to say,  it was a waste of three hours.

Not because the purpose of the exercise was unfounded (promoting a healthy dynamic is absolutely imperative to meeting and even surpassing organizational objectives) but because it presupposes that a group’s success is predicated on reinforcing the contextual style of each individual – even if that particular style is not optimal.

If you ask me, that is analogous to: a marriage counselor advising a couple at a crossroads to maintain status quo; a high school principal telling a divided student-body to emphasize existing social hierarchies; or a parent pushing a child to grow-up by repeatedly underlining his or her youth.

It just doesn’t make sense.

So after much deliberation and scientific research (ha!) I would like to propose an alternative methodology to building a high-performing team, one that maximizes the potential of every individual:

Step 1: Internalize Your Optimal Style – The best teams are comprised of individuals who have an acute awareness of the behavioral tendencies they exhibit when they are at their happiest and most productive.

Step 2: Evaluate Your Contextual Style – Contrary to what it may sound like above, I do think it’s important to understand how you and your coworkers function within the context of your current team dynamic. But only after you have a thorough grasp of how you each function when you’re at your best.

Step 3: Reconcile #1  and # 2  – Not everyone can be a manager, just like not everyone can be an analyst; to a certain extent, we all have to play our role. However, that does not mean you can’t approach your work in a manner that is consistent with your true value potential. For instance, if you’re at your best when you’re leading and/or inspiring others, think about (and ultimately articulate) ways to incorporate those tendencies into your day-to-day tasks regardless of how mundane they might be.

Step 4: Create a Behavioral Map of the Team – Once each member of the team has a sense of who they are, how they currently function, and where they’d like to be, the next step is to summarize the findings in the form of a behavioral map; so that going forward everyone has a concrete sense of how to leverage one another’s optimal styles.  

Step 5: Delegate Accordingly – Finally, it’s not enough to merely acknowledge one another’s “optimal style.” Employees and managers alike must learn to delegate tasks/projects in accordance with the above. For only then will a team be able to ensure its greatest chance of success – only then, will it be equipped to turn potential DISCord into harmony.

Thoughts?

Managing Expectations

Over the past several months one question has consistently kept me up at night: how can I, both as an individual dedicated to self-improvement and as an aspiring social entrepreneur, manage expectations more effectively (i.e. reconcile what I want to happen, with what actually takes place)?

It is a quandary I’m sure we have all wrestled with over the course of our lives. Be it in a professional setting (e.g. driving profitability within a year), an interpersonal setting (e.g. winning over a member of the opposite sex), or a personal setting (e.g. following-through on a commitment to write a monthly blog (ugh!)).

In each case the challenge (it appears) lies in being able to manage  internal and external forces adroitly. For instance if a company’s goal is to achieve profitability, managers must not only work  together to align internal strategic goals (which in and of itself, I can assure you is no easy task),  but also to address the ever-changing needs of their vendors and consumers. Likewise, if one’s objective is to write a monthly blog (ugh!),  he/she must not only account for external work-related obligations but also internal desires to spend whatever little free time he/she has relaxing/”being lazy.”

Needless to say, succeeding is an art – one that takes years to master.

Nevertheless, upon reflection, it seems as if organizations/individuals who do succeed – who do reconcile their aspirations with actuality – do so in large part because they abide by the following core principles:

Believe in a vision – It all starts with a vision; whether your goal is to change the world or simply get out of bed, you must be fully and deeply aware of what you are trying to accomplish before you can set out on your journey.

Focus on achieving quick wins – By design, a vision can either be vague or specific. However, regardless it will only come to fruition in a viable manner if you embrace all the steps it takes to attain it. If your goal is to run a marathon for example, understand that before you can run 26 + miles you must run one.

Develop a set of key metrics – How you measure progress is entirely up to you (e.g. businesses oftentimes use KPIs); the point is that you must push yourself to meet certain standards. For example, if my goal is to write a blog at least once a month and I know writing is difficult for me, I might try and define how much time I have to come up with a concept, how early I must create an outline, and how long it should take me to flush it out.

Implement a set of processes – Metrics are meaningless unless you can measure them meaningfully; thus, it goes without saying that you must create a set of processes that will enable you to take advantage of the data you collect/feedback you receive. If for instance your goal is to talk to a girl without coming across like a complete tool (clearly not talking about myself!) – wherein quick wins constitute being able to smile, say “hello”, and hold a conversation for more than 5 minutes without stammering – then perhaps you might want to try: engaging in dialogue with someone new every day, going out to a social event once every weekend, or incorporating something you read/heard in your day-to-day conversations.

Communicate these processes effectively – Communication is key throughout, but especially here. For if your vision is ever to succeed, everyone who has a stake in its realization must be in agreement – if not for their own well-being, then at least to ensure that you do not neglect yours.

Execute  – Once the aforementioned processes are in place, there is no need to wait; meet your shadowy future with courage and determination. If you fail, you’ll fail quickly thereby giving yourself more opportunities to ultimately succeed.

Seek feedback – Lastly, in order to ensure that you give yourself every chance to realize your ultimate vision, it is imperative that you seek  feedback every step along the way. Is your long-term objective in line with who you want to be? Are the metrics you’re holding yourself to a true measurement of whether or not you’re making progress? Are the processes that you have in place enabling you to receive feedback as efficiently as possible? Are all the parties involved on the same page as you or do you need to communicate more precisely? Are your actions moving you in the right direction? Etc.

The more frequently we answer these key questions, the sooner we will realize that: by holding ourselves accountable we put the future in our hands.

Thoughts?